Railway signaling



Sept. 27, 1932. c. w. BELL RAILWAY SIGNALING Filed Oct. 20, 1931 INVENTOR Clzallas W Ball.

HIS ATTORNEY CJI Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oF FicE CHARLES W. BELL, 0F WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH 8c SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA RAILWAY SIGNALING Application filed October 20, 1931.

The present invention relates to the control of signals at highway and railroad crossings. More particularly the invention 1s concerned with the provision of means for signaling to the engineman of an approaching train the condition of the warning signals at the highway crossing to warn him if one or more lights are burned out or are not flashing.

Highway crossing signals of the flasher type have on each side of the track two lights which by their flashing warn users of the highway that a trainis approaching. Oneor both of either or both of these pairs of lights may be out of operation, or the flasher relay controlling these lights may be out of operation. If these lights are not operating so as to give a proper warning tothe users of the highway there is a dangerous condition that should be made known to the engineman of the approaching train. In accordance with the invention such a condition is made known to the engineman by a light signal lo.- cated along the trackway at a suitable distance from the crossway and arranged. to give, for example, three indications, according as the highway signals are operating correctly, imperfectly but not dangerously, or

so poorly as to be dangerous.

In the accompanying drawing suitable circuits for the control of such a warning repeater signal to the engineman are illustrated. I r

Fig. 1 shows a circuit arrangement adapted to indicate to the engineman the condition of the highway crossing signals by dif ferent indications of a single lamp. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view illustrating an alternative circuit arrangement for giving indications of the condition of the highway crossing signals by colored lights.

In Fig. 1, portions of a single track railroad are indicated at 1, and a highway crossing of the railroad at 2. A pair of highway signal lights L and L are-located at one side of the track upon the" highway ina position to be seen by approaching motorists or other users of the highway, and a similar pair of lights L and L are similarly 1ocated at the other side of the track. According to the invention, repeater or tell-tale Serial No. 569,877.

lights H and H are stationed along the track at a suitable distance on either side ofthe crossing to warn the engineman of the condition of the signals at the crossing. The

cated only diagrammatically as such relays 6Q are well known. When a train approaches the crossing along track 1 from left to right, for example, the armature of winding E will be dropped to close its back contacts and as soon as the rear of the train passes the insulated joints at the crossing, all back contacts of the relay I will be opened, whereas a" train, approaching from. right to left will cause the armature of winding E todrop to close its back contacts until the train has cleared the crossing; the relay I being so con-- structed as to 'prevent'closur-e of the back contacts of windings E and E when trains are leaving the crossing in either-direction;

while insuring closure of the back contacts of 75.

one or the other of the windings upon the approach ofa train.

Flasher relay F is of usual construction.

It includes a pivoted armature 3, and windings N and R cooperating therewith to rock so.

it about its axis when these. windings are al ternately energized and deenergized- The armature 8 has mounted thereon a vertical member carrying insulated contacts C C and K. Contact C is so positioned between 85.

a pair of fixed wiper contacts 4 and 5 as to engage both contacts when in the mid position. Similarly contact C is so positioned between a pair offixed wiper contacts 6 and 7 as to engage both contacts when in the mid.

position. Contact K is positioned between fixed contacts 8 and 9 so as to engage contact 8 when the armature 3 is rocked in a counterclockwise direction due to energization of winding N and to engage contact 9 when the armature 3 is rocked in a clockwise direction by energization of winding R. The armature is so biased as to maintain contact K in en gagement with contact 8 when the circuit of windings N and R is open. Windings N and.

R are connected in series with back contacts of the interlocking relay 1, battery indicated by the letter B, being supplied to the armatures of both windings E and E Winding R is connected to any suitable common connection indicated by C to the negative side of the battery. Contact K when in engagement with contact 8 shunts winding N and when in engagement with contact 9 shunts winding R. Thus, when either of windings winding R deenergized, causing armature 3 to rock back to its initial biased position. The armature is thus rocked back and forth solong as the back contents of the interlocking relay are closed. During the above defscribed operation the rocking of armature 3 causes contacts C and C to be moved out of engagement with first one then the other of the pairs of wiper contacts associated therewith. Contacts C and C are both connected to battery over back contacts of the interlocking relay. Contacts 4 and 5 are connected to common C through lamps L and L respectively and contacts 6 and 7 are connected to common through lamps L and L respectively. Thus the rocking of armature 3 by the alternate energization and deenergization of windings'N and R will .cause alternate flashing, first of lights L and L and then of lights L and L i In order to signal to the engineman the condition of lamps L L and L L .four additional relays are added to the above described circuit. These four relays comprise a relay 10 in series with winding N of the flasher relayF, a relay 11 in series with the. winding R of the flasher relay F, a relay 12 connected between the back contacts of the interlocking relay and contact C and a relay 13 connected between the b ack contacts of the interlocking relay and contact C Relays 10. and 11 are slow release relays. During the time that contact K is moving from engagement with contact 8 into engagement with:

contact9, and then is returning back into engagement withcontact 8, relay 11 retains its armature raised, and similarly during the movement of contact K from contact 9 to contact 8 and back again relay 1O maintains its armature raised. Thus, if the flasher relay F is operating properly the armatures of relays 10 and 11 both'remain raised. Relays 1'2 and 13 are made quicleacting, but as the contacts C and C in their midposition engage both of the fixed wiper contacts associated therewith, the circuits for relays 12 and 13 are always closed provided none of the highways lamps L L or L L is burned out. Thus, if both lights on both sides of the highway are in good condition, relays 12 and 13 will maintain their, armatures raised. If, however, lamp L for example is burned out, then when contact C is at its extreme left-hand position so as to engage only wiper contact 4, the circuit of relay 12 is opened and its armature released. As soon as the movement of contact C is suflicient to bring it into engagement with contact 5, relay 12 is reenergized to pick up its armature. Thus, if one or the other of lamps L and L is out of commission, the armature of relay 12 will be alternately raised and lowered.

Similarly, if one or the other of lamps L and L is out of commission, the armature of relay 13 will be alternately raised and lowered. If both lamps L and L are out of commission the circuit of relay 12 will be opened permanently, and its armatureconsequently dropped. Similarly, if both lamps L and L are out of commission the circuit for relay 13 is opened and its armature dropped.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. l the circuit for signals H and H is over'the top contacts of all four relays 10, 11, 12 and 13; battery being connected to the armature of relay 11, top contact on this relay being connected to the armature of relay 10, and a top contact of relay 10 being connected to a top contact of relay 12, whose armature is connected to a top contact of relay 13, and the armature of relay 13 connected to common through the two lights H and H in parallel. If the flasher relay is' operating properly, relays 10 and 11 will both be energized as above described, and if both lights on both sides of the highway are in good condition both relays 12 and 13 will be energized as above described. Therefore, as all four relays 10, 11, 12 and 13 will have their top contacts closed a steady light will be displayed to the engineman informing him that the crossing signals are operating properly. If one light only on one or both sides ofthe highway crossing is out of commission, relay 12 and/or relay 13 will be alternately energized and deenergized. Consequently, lights H and H will flash; the circuit for these lights being alternately opened and closed by the armatures of relay 12 and/or relay 13. This flashing light will inform the engineman that the flasher relay is operating properly and that at least one light on each side is displayed to users of the highway to warn them of the approach of the train. It is a cautionary indication, but one which shows that at least some warning is being given to the users of the highway. If the flasher relay is not operating, relay 10 or relay 11 will be deenergized, or if both lights on one or both sides of the highway are out of commission, relay 12 or 13 or both will be deenergized, with the result that the circuit for lamps H and H will be permanently opened, thus indicating by the absence of a signal that the crossing signals are in such a poor condition as to be highly dangerous, and warning the engineman to either stop or proceed with extreme caution.

In Fig. 2 an alternative arrangement is illustrated which indicates by colored lights, for example, green, yellow, and red, the same general conditions as were indicated by the steady light, flashing light, or the absence of the si nal, in Fig. 1. This arrangement requires two additional relays, 14 and 15. The circuit of relay 14 is controlled over top contacts of relays 12 and 13. The circuit of relay 15 is controlled over top contacts of relays 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14. Relay 14 is of the slow-release type. If either relay 12 or relay 13 is alternately energized and deenergized, indicating, as above described, that one light only on one or the other side of the crossing is out of operation, relay 14 will maintain its armature raised. Relay 15 is a 7 slow pick-up D. C. relay so-that if one of the relays 10, 11, 12 or 13 is not continuously energized but is alternately energized and deenergized due to a failure of one light on either side or both sides of the crossing, relay 15 will not pick up its armature. A pair of green lamps G and G indicating proper operation of the crossing signals, are connected in parallel to battery over top contacts of re lays l4 and 15. A pair of yellow lamps Y and Y indicating proper flasher relay opera tion and at least one light operating on both sides of the crossing, or flasher relay not operating and at least one light on each side of crossing intact, are connected in parallel over a top contact of relay 14 and back contact of relay 15, and a pair of red lamps R- and R indicating either that both lights on one or both sides of the crossing are extinguished, are connected in parallel over a back contact of relay 14.

Lights G, Y, and R are intended, of course, to be located similarly to light H of Fig. 1 as a substitute therefor, and lights G, Y and R are intended to replace light H of Fig. l and to be similarly located along the track at the opposite side of the crossing from lights G, Y and R.

In each of the embodiments of the invention above described, a single track railroad was assumed. If the control is to be applied to a double track railroad, no change in the circuits is required, other than the substitution of the usual track relays for the inter locking relay.

Although the invention has been described in connection with the provision of three visual signals to be displayed to the engineman of an approaching train and correspond ing to correct, partial and faulty operation of the crossing signals, it will be understood thatthe invention, in its broadest aspects is 1. At a highway and railroad crossing the combination comprising signalslocate'd upon the highway to give warning of the approach of a train toward the crossing and automatically operated by the approach of a train and additional signals located along the track at a distance from the crossing to give warning to the engineman of the train of the condition of the first mentioned signals, said last mentioned signals being operated automatically to give a different indication according as the first mentioned signals are operating properly, partially but not dangerously, or so imperfectly as to be dangerous.

2. In combination with a highway crossing signal of the type comprising a pair of flashing lights at either side of the track controlled by a flasher relay, a signal located along the track at a distance from the crossing and in a position to be observed by the engine man of an approaching train, a pair of slow release relays so associated with the flasher relay as to maintain their armatures raised during operation of the flasher relay, a pair of quick-acting,relays each so associated with one pair of the highway lights and with the flasher relay as to be continuously energized when both of the lights associated therewith are operating and to be alternately energized and deenergized when but one of the pair of associated lights is operating, and

means for controlling said signal by said two pairs of relays to give different indications according to the operation of the highway lights and flasher relay.

8. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said signal is a lamp controlled over top contacts of said two pairs of relays whereby when said lamp burns steadily it indicates that the flasher relay is operating and that both lights on both sides of the track are operating, whereas when said lamp flashes it indicates that the flasher relay is operating and at least one light on each side of the track is operating and when said lamp is extinguished it indicates that either the flasher relay is not operating or that on at least one side of the track both lights are out of operation.

4. The combination according toclaim 2 wherein said last named means includes a third slow release relay, the circuit of which is controlled over top contacts of the pair of quick acting relays and a slow pick-up relay, the circuit of which is controlled over top contacts of said last mentioned slow release relay and said other two pairs of relays, and wherein said signal includes three colored lamps the circuit for one of which is over the top contacts of said third slow release relay and of said slow pick-up relay, the circuit for another of which is over the top contact of said third slow release relay and the back contact of said slow pick-up relay and the circuit for the third colored lamp being over the back contact of said third slow release relay.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES W. BELL. 

